Monday, November 1, 2010

A Lincoln called Fido!

NOVEMBER 1, 2010

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable Halloween celebration. Now we can get serious. Thanksgiving and Christmas, here we come. There are just 55 shopping days ‘til Christmas.

I was speaking to my brother Sunday. He is a well-known Lincoln Scholar. We were discussing our family yore and a book he was reading about Abraham Lincoln. Some of the information in this article comes from him.

I mentioned a couple of books I am e-publishing shortly. I mentioned Lincoln was the second most written about person in history following only Jesus Christ. My brother said he was aware of this and told me that the three most popular subjects of best sellers currently being published are, in no particular order;

1.      Abraham Lincoln
2.      Health or medicine
3    Dogs 

He took the position that to write a guaranteed best seller you just have to write a book about Lincoln’ veterinarian’s care of Fido.
Yes there actually was a dog named Fido (at least one) and he belonged to Abraham Lincoln.
When Lincoln lived in Springfield, Illinois, he and Fido could often be seen walking around the town. Fido was a floppy eared, yellow dog of mixed ancestry. Fido loved attention and enjoyed chasing his tail, often catching it which merely ended the game prematurely from the dog’s perspective.
When Lincoln was elected President, he decided not to take Fido to the White House because of the long train ride between Illinois and Washington, DC,  Fido had been terrified by the loud church bells and cannons that had announced Lincoln as President and Lincoln figured the train whistle and sirens announcing him in every town would disturb Fido..
Instead of subjecting Fido to the stress, Lincoln gave him to the Rolls, a neighboring family that had two boys, to look after until the Lincolns returned.
Lincoln gave the following rules for Fido:
  • He was not to be scolded for entering the house with muddy paws.
  • He was not to be tied up alone in the backyard.
  • He was to be allowed into the Roll home whenever he scratched at the front door.
  • Since he was accustomed to being fed by members of the family during mealtime, he was to be admitted to the dining room during those times.
The Lincolns gave the Rolls their horsehair sofa so that Fido would feel at home.
Shortly before they left for Washington, Lincoln and his two sons, Willie and Tad, took Fido to a photographer to have his picture taken. This is the first photo of a Presidential dog.
Lincoln had a horse named Old Bob. Lincoln did not take him to Washington D. C. either. The horse did, however, march in Lincoln’s funeral processions.
Notable births on this date:

1815 Crawford Williamson Long surgeon/pioneer (use of ether)
1871 Stephen Crane US, novelist/poet (Red Badge of Courage)
1880 Grantland Rice sportswriter (NY Herald Tribune 1914-30, Colliers 1925-37)
1929 Betsy Palmer E Chicago IN, actress (Mr Roberts, Friday the 13th)
1935 Gary Player South Africa, PGA golfer (US 1965, British 1959,68,74)
1942 Larry Flynt magazine publisher (Hustler)
1942 Marcia Wallace Creston Iowa, actress (Carol-Bob Newhart Show) They don’t look like twins
1960 Lyle Lovett country singer (Desert Rose Band, Give Back My Heart)

Notable deaths on this date: Apparently Halloween does not scare the life out of people. The list is short.

1947 Man O' War dies
1985 Phil Silvers comedic actor (Sgt Bilko), dies at 73 in his sleep
1986 Paul Frees animation voice (Bullwinkle), dies at 66
1994 Noah Beery Jr in California, actor (Rockford Files, Quest, Doc Elliot), dies at 81

Notable events on this date:

79 Pompei buried by Mt Vesuvius
1512 Michelangelo's paintings on ceiling of Sistine Chapel, 1st exhibited
1604 William Shakespeare's tragedy "Othello" 1st presented
1611 Shakespeare's romantic comedy "The Tempest" 1st presented
1800 1st President to live in the white house (John Adams)
1834 1st published reference to poker (as Mississippi riverboat game)
1938 Seabiscuit beats War Admiral in a match race at Pimlico
1966 NFL awards New Orleans its 16th franchise (All Saints Day)
1969 Beatles' "Abbey Road," album goes #1 & stays #1 for 11 weeks
1990 Sandra Miller awarded $100 for Mike Tyson fondling her breasts $50.00 each. Must not have been much.




BRUCE A. BRENNAN

Email: brucebrennanlaw@aol.com









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